1
as in to fray
to separate the various strands of
it took us forever to unravel the jumbled mass of Christmas tree lights
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
unraveled the mystery
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unravel
Modeled after the 1066 Bayeux Tapestry at the Bayeux Museum in France, there are 86 panels at 240 square inches each, with part of the long beadwork tapestry unraveled onto a table at the Lowe.
—
Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025
Exhibits there tend to unravel like chapters of a book, with separate stories that come together into a compelling novel.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
According to a criminal complaint obtained by KSTP, the women at one point were caught on a deputy’s digital recorder, seemingly discussing their efforts to trick police, and their scheme quickly unraveled from there.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
While many of the President’s supporters are cheering him on, some legal experts see a constitutional crisis unfolding, as many of Trump’s moves raise urgent legal and constitutional questions that could take years to fully unravel.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for unravel 
Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025
Exhibits there tend to unravel like chapters of a book, with separate stories that come together into a compelling novel.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
According to a criminal complaint obtained by KSTP, the women at one point were caught on a deputy’s digital recorder, seemingly discussing their efforts to trick police, and their scheme quickly unraveled from there.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2025
While many of the President’s supporters are cheering him on, some legal experts see a constitutional crisis unfolding, as many of Trump’s moves raise urgent legal and constitutional questions that could take years to fully unravel.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for unravel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unravel
Verb
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The trust that underpinned Maryland’s politics is fraying, weakened by the bad-faith accusations of our current governor against our former governor.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Feb. 2025
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Elsewhere, there were talisman-esque adornments on shrunken and frayed knits.—
Scarlett Conlon,
CNN,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The employees who move up the fastest are the ones who think critically, solve problems, and drive the business forward.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes,
11 Feb. 2025
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The bodies have been recovered and identified and authorities on Sunday remained determined to solve the mystery of what caused a small plane to lose speed and altitude over Alaska moments before a horrific crash that killed all 10 people aboard.—
John Bacon,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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As linguists and geneticists continue to untangle the origins of Indo-European languages, one thing is clear—the story of language is one of movement, change and cultural exchange, far from the rigid, nationalist narratives of the past.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 Feb. 2025
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Our writer untangles a mystery dug up by the turtle counters.—
Mark Sundeen,
Outside Online,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The issue of micromobility lithium-ion battery safety and standards is not being resolved anytime soon.—
John Orlando,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2025
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Berryman was also commenting on the reason for Roosevelt’s presence in the state to begin with: a boundary dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana that Roosevelt helped resolve before heading out on the bear hunt.—
Sarah Holzmann,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Yet, disentangling cartel operations from U.S. interests in Mexico could be immensely complicated.—
Maria Abi-Habib,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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During his first term, Trump and his team began an effort to disentangle the U.S. and allied economies from China.—
Elizabeth Economy,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Every time there’s impactful news, CFOs need to answer: What would this mean to our cash and liquidity in the future?—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes,
11 Feb. 2025
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The White House did not answer questions from ProPublica about DOGE’s plans for AST.—
Heather Vogell,
ProPublica,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In rare cases, a volvulus can partially resolve on its own if the twist or obstruction is not severe and the intestine untwists spontaneously.—
Sarah Jividen,
Health,
22 Sep. 2024
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It’s got a rubber bumper around the upper rim that makes the lid a breeze to untwist and a protective bumper at the base that keeps it from easily toppling over.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appétit,
6 Aug. 2024
Verb
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What’s more, giving yourself space to rest and introspect could help you unsnarl a problem that’s been weighing you down lately.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2022
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Supply chains have started to unsnarl, and commodity prices for oil and some grains have dipped after surging amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.—
Jeanna Smialek,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2022
Thesaurus Entries Near unravel
Cite this Entry
“Unravel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unravel. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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